PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. — The 2026 GSC Awards presented by Caldwell Architects took place Thursday in Pensacola Beach, Fla., celebrating the Conference's top student-athletes and honoring standout achievements from both past and present. Highlighting the even was the presentation of the prestigious GSC Commissioner Trophy, with Lee's Drew Zielinski earning the men's awards, while UAH's Lili Wilken and Lee's Aria Hawkins shared the women's honor as co-recipients.
The Commissioner's Trophy is the most prestigious honor bestowed by the GSC, which is presented annually to the student-athlete who best combines outstanding performance on the field or court and high academic achievement in the classroom with significant community service and extracurricular activities. This is the fourth time in history the Conference recognized co-winners and is the first-time for the women.
Lee has now had a commissioner trophy winner for the sixth straight year and seventh overall. It is the second time the Flames have swept the award. Summer Lanter was the first winner in 2018. In 2021, Celine Ritter was the winner. She won again in 2022 along with Beck Burnette. Burnette won it again in 2023. Kate Dirkse was the honoree in 2024, and Ashleigh Simes won in 2025.
Lee has now earned nine commissioner trophies and have the third most in GSC history. Delta State, Valdosta State and the University of North Alabama had 13 apeice while Mississippi College has ten.
COMMISSIONER TROPHY HISTORY
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TOP TEN BIOS
The evening began with a celebration focused on the Conference's past as it officially inducted the GSC Hall of Fame Class of 2026 which included West Georgia's Franziska Bremm, Lee's Larry Carpenter, Mississippi College's Terry Fleming, West Alabama's Janet Montgomery, Valdosta State's Shannon Williams.
The event then highlighted the GSC's present as the league recognized its 2026 Top Ten Award recipients and Commissioner Trophy winners and awarded its All-Sport Trophies to Lee (overall) and West Florida (men's and women's).
HALL OF FAME
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Zielinski had a standout season on the golf course as he notched five top-three finishes, including two tournament wins. The senior from Ocean Springs, Miss., shot an average round score of 69.6 across 31 total rounds and was the top-ranked men's player in Division II according to Scoreboard by Clippd. During fall portion of the season, the GSC Golfer of the Year and GSC Championship individual medalist made history, becoming the first-ever DII golfer to earn an exemption into a PGA Tour event through a college tournament, after winning the Golfweek Fripp Island Tournament allowing him to compete in the PGA's Butterfield Bermuda Championship. In addition, Zielinski was named a GCAA/PING First Team All-American and finalist for the 2026 Jack Nicklaus DII Player of the Year Award.
Beyond his success on the course, Zielinski was involved in campus and community initiatives. He participated in the Deke Day campus service project, was member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, served as a champ counselor for the a summer youth golf tournament, assisted with Lee University's new student move-in and volunteered at the Westmore Church of God Community Fall Festival.
Hawkins, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, excelled on the national stage in 2026, winning indoor 5000m and outdoor 1500m national titles. The graduate student was also a three-time USTFCCCA All-American and earned Indoor South Region Track Athlete of the Year honors, while claiming GSC Track Athlete of the Year for both seasons while garnering seven First Team All-GSC honors.
She also earned GSC All-Academic accolades and was a USTFCCCA Academic All-America during the indoor season. Away from the track, Hawkins served as president for the Psi Chi Honor Society and as team representative for Lee's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She was also actively engaged in the psychology department's service-learning projects and travel to South Africa for a mission trip to work with local kids.
Wilken, a native of Nolensville, Tenn., had a phenomenal season, leading UAH women's basketball to its first-ever GSC regular-season title and appearance in the Division II Final Four. The senior paced the conference in total points (836), points per game (22.0) and steals (81), while also ranking second in rebounds (272), third in free throw shooting (.817), as well as fifth in both field goal percentage (.495) and total assists (120).
As a result, WIlken received numerous honors, including GSC Player of the Year and D2CCA South Region Player of the Year. She was also a consensus First Team All-American and named to the NCAA South Region All-Tournament Team. In addition, she was a College Sports Communicators (CSC) First Team Academic All-America selection and tabbed to the GSC All-Academic Team. She also an actively participant in the Chargers' day of service event during their trip to the national championship.
About the Gulf South Conference
Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the Gulf South Conference is a charter member of NCAA Division II. Formed in 1970, the GSC has established a tradition of excellence and leadership in the Division II landscape, celebrating over 50 national titles and more than 160 region championships. The Conference annually sponsors 19 sports and hosts 18 championships events.
